Performance of the Aptis Distal Radioulnar Joint Implant: A Clinical Case Series Including Four-Dimensional Computed Tomography Kinematic Analysis.

High complication rates and surgical revision rates following Aptis implant placement have been reported in the literature. This study evaluates the performance of the Aptis implant of twelve patients using four-dimensional kinematic analysis. The (mean) follow-up was 58 months. Wrist motion, grip strength, and kinematic analysis of both arms were used to investigate possible causes of the reported complications. In nine cases (75%), the proximal to distal translation of the distal radius along the ulnar axis in the affected forearm was too little or absent. Significant correlations were found between postoperative extension and translation of the distal radius along the ulnar axis and between the radial deviation and combined error. The four-dimensional kinematic analysis suggests that the current design of the implant could lead to limited restoration of the position of the forearm rotation axis and the translation of the radius along the ulnar axis.

Surgical management of vascular malformations of the upper extremity: A review of current literature.

Introduction: Vascular malformations of the upper extremity are uncommon, and there is great heterogeneity in their occurrence and appearance. There is no golden standard for the treatment of vascular malformations of the upper extremity and limited evidence on this subject has been published. Objective: This review aims to answer the question whether surgical treatment leads to less recurrence and complications than non-surgical treatment for patients with vascular malformations of the upper extremity. Materials and methods: A literature search in PubMed was performed up to September 2019 by using the following terms: vascular malformation, upper extremity and surgery. Inclusion criteria were: a mean follow-up duration of at least 12 months [1], outcome measurements including recurrences and/or complications [2] and the involvement of patients with vascular malformations of the upper extremity [3]. Results: In total, 883 articles were found, of which seven were included in this review. A total of 358 patients were included in these studies, including 208 patients with upper extremity vascular malformations. Minor surgical complications were seen in 20% of the cases, and major complications occurred in 6%. Recurrence was reported in 32% of the cases. Conclusion: Surgery for vascular malformations of the upper extremity can be a safe and effective treatment option, although some cases are better off when treated non-surgically. Literature shows various complication rates for non-surgical treatment of upper extremity vascular malformations. To determine in which case surgery is the better option, we should identify factors leading to surgical complications.

Care Pathway for Foetal Joint Contractures, Foetal Akinesia Deformation Sequence, and Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita.

INTRODUCTION: The majority of arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) and lethal forms of AMC such as foetal akinesia deformation sequence (FADS) cases are missed prenatally. We have demonstrated the additional value of foetal motor assessment and evaluation in a multidisciplinary team for the period 2007-2016. An applied care pathway was developed for foetuses presenting with joint contracture(s) in one anatomic region (e.g., talipes equinovarus [TEV]), more than one body part with non-progressive contractures and motility (AMC) and with deterioration over time (FADS). METHODS: The multidisciplinary team of Amsterdam University Medical Centre Expertise Centre FADS and AMC developed the care pathway. Additional tools are provided including a motor assessment by ultrasound examination and a post-mortem assessment form. RESULTS: An eight-step care pathway is presented with a proposed timing for prenatal sonographic examination, genetic examinations, multidisciplinary meetings, prenatal and postnatal counselling of the parents by a specialist also treating after birth, and the follow-up of prenatal and postnatal findings with counselling for future pregnancies. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The scheduled serial structural and motor sonograpahic assessment together with follow-up examinations and genetic analysis should be tailored per prenatal centre per available resources. The multidisciplinary care pathway may pave the way to increase the detection rate and diagnosis of isolated contracture(s), TEV with underlying genetic causes, and the rare phenotypes AMC/FADS and prompt treatment after birth within expertise teams.

Mammaplasty in patients with large areola: Reducing the nipple-areola complex using intra-areolar incisions.

Minimal incision breast reduction techniques resulting in periareolar scars are widely used. However, this technique is less suitable for patients with large areola diameters and relatively small breasts, requiring a modest reduction or lift only. As a result of the large nipple-areola complex larger amounts of skin must be removed in order to resect the complete peripheral areola, increasing the risk of high-riding nipples, breast flattening and incomplete areola resection resulting in a rest on the vertical scar. This report describes a modified technique offering a solution to these problems. In this technique intra-areolar incisions are used to reduce areola size without resecting large volumes of breast tissue and skin. Complete peripheral areolar resection is always possible and high-riding nipples are avoided.

Speckle-tracking sonographic assessment of longitudinal motion of the flexor tendon and subsynovial tissue in carpal tunnel syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to image both tendon and subsynovial connective tissue movement in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and healthy control volunteers, using sonography with speckle tracking. To estimate accuracy of this tracking method, we used in vivo measurements during surgery to validate the motion estimated with sonography. METHODS: We recruited 22 healthy volunteers and 18 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Longitudinal sonograms of the middle finger flexor digitorum superficialis tendon and subsynovial connective tissue were obtained during finger flexion and extension. The images were analyzed with a speckle-tracking algorithm. The ratio of the subsynovial connective tissue velocity to tendon velocity was calculated as the maximum velocity ratio, and the shear index, the ratio of tendon to subsynovial connective tissue motion, was calculated. For validation, we recorded flexor digitorum superficialis tendon motion during open carpal tunnel release. RESULTS: The shear index was higher in patients than controls (P < .05), whereas the maximum velocity ratio in extension was lower in patients than controls (P < .05). We found good intraclass correlation coefficients (>0.08) for shear index and maximum velocity ratio measurements between speckle-tracking and in vivo measurements. Bland-Altman analyses showed that all measurements remained within the limits of agreement. CONCLUSIONS: Speckle tracking is a potentially useful method to assess the biomechanics within the carpal tunnel and to distinguish between healthy individuals and patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. This method, however, needs to be further developed for clinical use, with the shear index and maximum velocity ratio as possible differentiating parameters between patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and healthy individuals.

Transverse plane tendon and median nerve motion in the carpal tunnel: ultrasound comparison of carpal tunnel syndrome patients and healthy volunteers.

BACKGROUND: The median nerve and flexor tendons are known to translate transversely in the carpal tunnel. The purpose of this study was to investigate these motions in differential finger motion using ultrasound, and to compare them in healthy people and carpal tunnel syndrome patients. METHODS: Transverse ultrasounds clips were taken during fist, index finger, middle finger and thumb flexion in 29 healthy normal subjects and 29 CTS patients. Displacement in palmar-dorsal and radial-ulnar direction was calculated using Analyze software. Additionally, the distance between the median nerve and the tendons was calculated. RESULTS: We found a changed motion pattern of the median nerve in middle finger, index finger and thumb motion between normal subjects and CTS patients (p<0.05). Also, we found a changed motion direction in CTS patients of the FDS III tendon in fist and middle finger motion, and of the FDS II and flexor pollicis longus tendon in index finger and thumb motion, respectively (p<0.05). The distance between the median nerve and the FDS II or FPL tendon is significantly greater in patients than in healthy volunteers for index finger and thumb motion, respectively (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest a changed motion pattern of the median nerve and several tendons in carpal tunnel syndrome patients compared to normal subjects. Such motion patterns may be useful in distinguishing affected from unaffected individuals, and in studies of the pathomechanics of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Sonographic measurements of subsynovial connective tissue thickness in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: A major pathologic finding in patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome is noninflammatory fibrosis and thickening of the subsynovial connective tissue. The objective of this study was to determine the ability of sonography to depict this thickening by comparing subsynovial connective tissue thickness in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and healthy control participants. METHODS: Longitudinal sonograms of the middle finger superficial flexor tendon and subsynovial connective tissue were obtained at 3 levels: at the wrist crease (proximal tunnel), at the hook of the hamate (mid tunnel), and at the distal edge of the transverse carpal ligament (distal tunnel). The thickness of the subsynovial connective tissue perpendicular to the direction of the tendon and the diameter of the flexor digitorum superficialis tendon at the same level were measured. Then, a thickness ratio was created. RESULTS: At all 3 levels, the subsynovial connective tissue was thicker in patients than in controls (P < .0001) with a thickness ranging from 0.60 to 0.63 mm in patients and 0.46 to 0.50 mm in controls. The thickness ratio was significantly greater in patients at the hamate and distal levels (P = .018 and .013, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: With this study, we have shown that it is possible to measure subsynovial connective tissue thickness with sonography, and the tissue is thicker in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome than in healthy controls.

Median nerve deformation in differential finger motions: ultrasonographic comparison of carpal tunnel syndrome patients and healthy controls.

We investigated the median nerve deformation in the carpal tunnel in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome and controls during thumb, index finger, middle finger, and a four finger motion, using ultrasound. Both wrists of 29 asymptomatic volunteers and 29 patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome were evaluated by ultrasound. Cross-sectional images during motion from full extension to flexion were recorded. Median nerve cross-sectional area, perimeter, aspect ratio of the minimal enclosing rectangle, and circularity in extension and flexion positions were calculated. Additionally, a deformation index was calculated. We also calculated the intra-rater reliability. In both controls and patients, the median nerve cross-sectional area became significantly smaller from extension to flexion in all finger motions (p < 0.05). In flexion and extension, regardless of the specific finger motion, the median nerve deformation, circularity and the change in perimeter were all significantly greater in CTS patients than in controls (p < 0.05). We found excellent intra-rater reliability for all measurements (ICC > 0.84). With this study we have shown that it is possible to assess the deformation of the median nerve in carpal tunnel syndrome with ultrasonography and that there is more deformation of the median nerve in carpal tunnel syndrome patients during active finger motion. These parameters might be useful in the evaluation of kinematics within the carpal tunnel, and in furthering our understanding of the biomechanics of carpal tunnel syndrome in the future.

The gliding characteristics of the flexor pollicis longus tendon in the carpal tunnel: potential implications for manual pipette users.

To understand the potential mechanism for hand and wrist complaints in pipette users, whose motion is characterized by repetitive thumb motion in certain wrist positions, the peak (PGR) and mean (MGR) gliding resistance of the flexor pollicis longus (FPL) tendon were measured in nine human cadaver wrists. The PGR with the wrist in 30° ulnar deviation and in the neutral position were significantly lower than the PGR with the wrist in 60° flexion. The MGR with the wrist in 30° ulnar deviation was significantly lower than the MGR with the wrist in 60° flexion, 60° extension, or 20° radial deviation with 40° extension. Based on these data, we believe that a manual pipette designed to be used in neutral to ulnar deviated wrist position could have ergonomic advantages.

Median nerve deformation and displacement in the carpal tunnel during index finger and thumb motion.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the deformation and displacement of the normal median nerve in the carpal tunnel during index finger and thumb motion, using ultrasound. Thirty wrists from 15 asymptomatic volunteers were evaluated. Cross-sectional images during motion from full extension to flexion of the index finger and thumb were recorded. On the initial and final frames, the median nerve, flexor pollicis longus (FPL), and index finger flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) tendons were outlined. Coordinate data were recorded and median nerve cross-sectional area, perimeter, aspect ratio of the minimal-enclosing rectangle, and circularity in extension and flexion positions were calculated. During index finger flexion, the tendon moves volarly while the nerve moves radially. With thumb flexion, the tendon moves volarly, but the median nerve moves toward the ulnar side. In both motions, the area and perimeter of the median nerve in flexion were smaller than in extension. Thus, during index finger or thumb flexion, the median nerve in a healthy human subject shifts away from the index finger FDS and FPL tendons while being compressed between the tendons and the flexor retinaculum in the carpal tunnel. We are planning to compare these data with measurements in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and believe that these parameters may be useful tools for the assessment of CTS and carpal tunnel mechanics with ultrasound in the future.

Segmental facial hemangiomas and associated structural defects.

PHACE syndrome refers to the association of large segmental facial hemangiomas with 1 or more of the following anomalies: posterior fossa malformations, arterial anomalies, cardiac anomalies, and eye abnormalities. In this review, we present a newborn with a large segmental facial hemangioma and abnormal genesis of the cerebropetal arteries. Furthermore, we give an overview of the anomalies associated with the PHACE syndrome. Patients with large segmental facial hemangiomas are at risk for 1 of these anomalies and should be investigated accordingly. We present a clinical algorithm for screening of patients with large segmental hemangiomas suggestive of the PHACE syndrome.